Thursday, 5 March 2015

WHO Calls for Sugar Reduction

A new WHO guideline strongly recommends adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake and a conditional recommendation for reduction to below 5% or roughly 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day.
Free sugars refer to monosaccharides (such as glucose, fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose or table sugar) added to foods and drinks by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates.

Much of the sugars consumed today are “hidden” in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweets. For example, 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains around 4 grams (around 1 teaspoon) of free sugars. A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of free sugars.

The WHO guideline does not refer to the sugars in fresh fruits and vegetables, and sugars naturally present in milk, because there is no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars.

These recommendations are based on latest scientific evidence and will help prevent obesity and dental decay and can form the basis of new health policies.